Seven Meetings
by orenjichan92
Summary: Kougyoku brought her friend to finish their art project. She warned her siblings not to bother them while they were working, but since when they ever listened to her? Especially not her oldest brother, Kouen. Kouen x Alibaba. Slightly OOC. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A Magi Fanfiction

—–

Desclaimer: Not mine, damn it. If Magi is mine, the story would be yaoi and harem, and everyone loves Alibaba and tries to woo him.

Warning: This is yaoi. T-rated with a lot of frustrating teases until the last chapter. So if you don't like it, then don't read.

Pairing: Kouen x Alibaba.

—–

Chapter 1: An Introduction and A Kiss

"I'm going to bring my friend home tomorrow, so please behave yourselves!" Kougyoku suddenly announced at dinner. She looked at each of her siblings, one at a time, to make sure they got the simple message. Hakuei, the only girl beside Kougyoku, only nodded her head in understanding. It was hard for the girls to bring friends to their home. When they brought girls, they would flirt with the brothers, and when they invited their male friends, the house's male occupants would glare endlessly at the poor boys. The boys looked rather indifferent at the moment, but Kougyoku knew what kind of torture they would put on her beloved friend. Hakuryuu, her twin, however, only fidgeted nervously as he already knew who this friend was. She let it pass though, as she knew his little crush to that certain friend of hers.

"A she or a he?" Kouen asked menacingly, could not help himself to interrogate his sisters. His over protectiveness toward his sisters had been developed and cultivated since their parents passed away six years ago, and he would never allow the girls to bring a shady or unworthy boy into their home. Not under his supervision.

"A he." She replied shortly. When Kouen opened his mouth to object, she cut him, "But that is not important. I need you to behave yourselves, especially you, Kouennii-san." Hakuryuu nodded in agreement at this, and then Koumei and Kouha started to get interested on the topic. It was not very often the oldest one that got the firmest warning.

"Me? Why me?" Kouen puzzled.

"Because one, he is pure, and two, he is your type. Don't lay a single finger on him."

Pause. Kougyoku fidgeted awkwardly, suddenly wanted to get to her room as soon as possible. Kouen dumbfounded. Hakuei choked on her food. Koumei and Kouha laughed hysterically. Hakuryuu got tense so suddenly. More awkward pause.

Could not stand the awkward long silent anymore, Kougyoku coughed embarrassedly in attempt to break the tension. "We have to finish our art project together, so please do not disturb us with your annoying and unnecessary glares. Is that clear?" Without waiting for replies, she went to her bedroom and locked the door to prevent further interrogation from her beloved brothers. She texted her friend, saying she had the permission to bring him home, and got a warm and excited reply immediately. With that she went to sleep in peace and glee.

The dining room, however, was still awkward, except for those two who were still laughing madly. Kouen sighed and got up from his chair. The sudden outburst from his youngest sister had taken his appetite away. "Finish your meal quickly." And he went to his bedroom calmly. Hakuei and Hakuryuu finished their meal awkwardly and went to their own bedrooms in dash. That left the two brothers who were still trying to control their laughter but failed miserably. And the wonderful night ended rather peacefully.

~ Kouen x Alibaba ~

On the next day, Hakuei went to the library to study for university examination entrance, Koumei and Kouha were hanging out with their classmates, and poor Hakuryuu was stuck with Aladin to finish their cursed art project. It wasn't that they hated each other, they just despised each other. The only reason was a common knowledge to their school, they both had crush on the same person. The said person, though, as clueless as a baby, much to their dismay and Kougyoku's amusement. But Kougyoku did not have any intention to help either of them. She knew it would burden her best friend when he came to realization of his friends' feelings while he did not feel the same. So Kougyoku did her best to keep her most cherished friend oblivious for his sake, until the damned fated day came.

When she came home with the issued boy, she found Kouen was sitting on the leather couch with one of his complicated books on his right hand. His beige sweater hung loosely on his long torso, and he was wearing a pair of faded vintage jeans. To say he looked good was an understatement. His look was one of the reasons why he never had to look for a date, the date itself would find him. No one that Kougyoku knew so far could resist his request when he looked at them directly in the eyes, well, no one except for his siblings who had been immune to his good look since forever.

She put off her coat and hung it on the hanger and instructed her friend to do the same, the she walked softly to the living room with him following like a lost puppy. "I'm home," she announced loudly. Kouen looked up for a moment, nodded at her to acknowledge her arrival and put his attention back to his reading material. She pouted at his cold reaction, "Kouennii-san, at least you can pretend to be friendly when I bring my friend home." To humor his sister, Kouen looked up to see this precious friend of her with a mocking sigh.

"Good afternoon, my name is Alibaba Saluja. Please take care of me." The blonde boy said politely and bowed a little when Kouen looked at him.

Kouen took his time to stare at the boy, down to top. His uniform hung loosely on his body, while his pants hugged his leg tightly but not tight enough to leave nothing to imagination. His skin is creamy and he had golden hair that shone like soft golden thread, with a pair of big and clear golden eyes. His lips were looked so soft like rose petal, and Kouen got a quite hard time to resist the urge to graze his fingers on the soft cheek. Before he finished his private observation, he realized that the boy was fidgeting nervously under his hot gaze. _Not bad_, he thought.

"Kouennii-san, why don't you help me to make some tea and sweets for our guest," Kougyouko grabbed his sweater and pulled him to the kitchen. "Alibaba-chan, make yourself at home!" She winked at him and gone to the kitchen, leaving the dumbfounded Alibaba to sit awkwardly on the living room.

As soon as they reach the kitchen, Kougyoku released her deathly grip on her brother's sweater and glared at him sharply.

"I've told you to behave!"

"I didn't do anything." The word yet was left unsaid, but Kougyoku could hear it loud and clear, so she glared even sharper, if it was possible. "You said last night that he is my type. Of course I would be curious." He smirked.

"So?" Kougyoku asked hesitantly, hoping he would say no. But the answer was already clear.

"I am surprised to say that you know my type too well." The smirk went wider.

Kougyoku felt like the sky had fallen down and the earth had finally thorn apart. She almost screamed like a Banshee if she did not remember about her friend, who was sitting unsuspectingly on the living room. "Don't touch him!" She screamed in whisper.

"I can't promise you that, dear sister. Now, why don't you make some tea while I prepare some sweets for that beloved friend of yours?" He changed the subject smoothly.

Kougyoku grumbled a little, but decided to catch the ball. "Fine. I cannot let my beloved Alibaba wait alone in that living room. He must feel very awkward right now."

They went back to the living room with some treats on a small tray. True to her word, the golden haired boy was fidgeting awkwardly and released his breath that he did not realize had been holding when he saw the two came back. Somehow it pissed Kouen, just a little, how Kougyoku could understand Alibaba so well and called him 'beloved'. He decided that it was his brother-feeling.

"Alibaba-chan, let's go to my room to do our project. We have a long way to go." She had to protect her angel from the grasp of the evil perverted wolf, and that meant they have to get away from his sinful gaze as soon as possible. But of course, her plan would never go smoothly when her oldest brother was around.

"Kougyoku, I've told you not to bring boys into your bedroom. I raised you better than that."

Alibaba considered this and nodded in agreement. "That's right, Kougyoku. You cannot bring boys to your room so trustingly, not even me." He knocks her head softly, then turned to Kouen with a smile of understanding, "I understand your concern, Ren-san. Please don't worry, we can work here just fine."

_It's your safety that I'm worried about!_ Kougyoku screamed hysterically inside her head. But of course, she kept her composure straight. Her twitching eyebrows were not helping much though.

"I'll bring the property out, then," Kougyoku got up and went to her bedroom with a forced smile. Once she got into her room and closed the door, she realized her biggest mistake. She had just left her Alibaba alone with the wolf down there. With a force that could send a sumo flying, she slammed her door open and got ready to rescue the blonde from the hand of the demon king.

The view in front of her was not exactly what she had expected. The two males were currently sitting, rather silently and peacefully, on their own seat, which were separated by the coffee table. In other word, Alibaba was still untouched even though he was left alone with Kouen for nearly 25 seconds. That could be a record.

"Alibaba, are you okay?" Kougyoku asked anyway, just to make sure. You could never be too careful when it was about Kouen.

"Huh? Of course I am," Alibaba blinked in confusion, before asking, "Didn't you say you're bringing out the property?" He stared at her for a while, and continued when she was still not moving, "Where are they?"

Kougyouku laughed awkwardly and scratched her head sheepishly, "In my room?" With that she went back to her room, this time she left even faster so she could protect the baby, the big blonde clueless baby. Such a precious and endangered species he was. When she got back, with an A2-sized white artpaper, some poster paint and brushes, her brother was still in his first position, unmoving, which was a good sign. Alibaba, on the other hand, was fidgeting nervously and his eyes were looking at everywhere but Kouen. Now, this was not good.

"Alibaba?"

"Ah, Kougyoku. I didn't realize you're here. Let's start the project."

"…Sure." Kougyoku eyed the older male once more, before turned her attention to her male friend. What her stupid brother had done was not her top priority, moreover, she could dig it out from Alibaba tomorrow.

For the project, they were assigned to make an explanation poster of a music instrument, which later will be given to the music class. They decided to use violin instead of the grand piano like most people would do. The reason was simple, Kougyoku could draw the instrument better than she did piano while Alibaba could play the instrument well like it was a toy from his childhood. It made things easier for both of them, and besides, who said piano was better when we had violin.

Their project was already half done when they left it yesterday. Now, they only needed to do the coloring. It had been decided that Koukyoku would do the violin while Alibaba would take care of the background. He might have the skill to play it, but to draw the wooden instrument was another story, and he did not have the time to start a new chapter as the deadline was breathing down his neck.

Concentrating on his job, Alibaba did not realize a pair of red eyes is eyeing him carefully. Kouen had a hard time to keep his hand stay where they were, especially when the boy was pouting slightly when the brush did not went the way he plan it. He smiled a little when Alibaba accidentally messed Kougyoku's work a little, and the smile went wider when the boy got a pinch as his punishment. He hid his smile with his hand quietly, but Kougyoku's eyes missed none of it, and she secretly smile for his brother's antic.

Time passes faster when one did not pay much attention to it. Before they knew, it was already 7 p.m. and it was near dinner time and they had finished their assignment. The brothers and sister of the house were coming home one by one, and of course, Alibaba greeted each of them politely. Hakuei was delighted to see a polite young boy in this day like an old lady, which was to be expected. But to Kougyoku's surprise, Kouha and Koumei seemed to take a liking on Alibaba, too. Yet, again, Alibaba seemed to attract every kind of person with his pure smile. One could look at him and knew that he was naïve and kind. Such an endangered species he was.

"Well then, I'm going home now, Kougyoku. See you tomorrow," Alibaba rose from his seat after washing and taking the brushes back to her room.

"Eh, why don't you have dinner with us, Alibaba-san?" Hakuei asked politely. The boy was a good and charming boy that was rare to find these days. She found his presence calming, like an old friend, which was odd for he was a stranger to the family.

"It is a tempting invitation, but my uncle asked me to have dinner with him tonight," he said as he put his things into his bag.

"Such a pity, next time, let's have dinner together, okay?" Hakuei smiled at him, and Kouen coughed loudly at this. "Of course, with the whole family."

Alibaba laughed softly at this and nodded his head, "I'll be happy to eat with all of you. Thank you for the offer. Good night."

He was taking his coat from the hanger when Kouen said, "I'll take you home." Surprising everyone on the living room, except Kougyoku, who had expected this to come.

"Eh? Yo- You don't need to, Ren-san. My apartment is not very far from here and-"

"You're Kougyoku's friend. Of course we have to take good care of you," he said. His tone said that it was final as he already took out his key. "Come on."

Alibaba looked rather reluctant about it, but nodded and come along. The Ren family could only stare at the retreating figures and the closing door, gaping like a fish, except for Kougyoku who was already praying to all the Gods she knew to protect her friend from his brother.

"What was that again?"

"Kouen is taking someone home, that's the first time in history."

"But he is too naïve for a high school boy, don't you think?"

"…Does this mean Alibaba is in danger?"

All became pale, but they do not dare to interrupt Kouen when he already had a plan in his mind. They could only pray to God for Alibaba's safety.

At the moment, the boy and the man was sitting rather awkwardly on Kouen's car. Well, the boy felt awkward for he could not find something to talk about. The man, on the other hand, was enjoying the awkward look on the boy. He decided that the poor boy needed a break, so he played along to ease the boy.

"Alibaba, I heard from Kougyoku that you live alone. Is that true?"

"Yes, my parents had passed away since… I'm sorry, I don't even remember… I think it was 11 years ago… Since then, my uncle has been taking care of me… He has become a father figure to me."

"Your apartment, is he the one who is paying for that too?"

"Actually, he is the owner of the building, so he let me stay in one of the room. But I cannot live like a freeloader, so I cook for him and do his house chores from time to time." The image of Alibaba wearing an apron and cook for him was not bad at all, in fact, he would be happy to turn the image into reality.

"The owner? You uncle's name is…"

"His name is Sinbad. Ah, turn left after this." And Kouen did as Alibaba asked. The huge building in front of him was not what he expected. But then, this was one of the richest man's apartments.

"You live here alone?" Kouen asked with a raised eyebrow. It was hard to imagine a kind and cheerful boy to live in a cold big room all alone.

"Yes, but my uncle loves to crash my room. He always eat and sleep in my place so I won't feel lonely," Alibaba answered sheepishly. And somehow it pissed Kouen off that this Sinbad got to eat and sleep with the boy as much as he wanted. "Thank you for taking me home, Ren-san." Alibaba bowed his head and unbuckled his seat belt.

"Kouen."

"Eh?"

Kouen grabbed his hand and kissed him softly on the lips. Alibaba gasped and Kouen took the chance to slip his tongue into the boy's mouth. While the boy was still stunned, he explored Alibaba's mouth, memorizing every detail of it. His hand touched Alibaba's lower cheek, bringing them closer, while the other hand stayed on Alibaba's hand. The touch was tender and when Alibaba cannot control his moan, it took all his control not to push the boy down then and there. After what seemed like forever, Kouen released his hand from Alibaba's face and whispered softly into his ear, "Call me Kouen, Alibaba."

Alibaba was as red as a ripe tomato, his soft lips were wet and he was panting for breath. He stammered an answer and got out from the car like a robot. Kouen chuckled at his antic, but he could not let the boy stand in the harsh weather too long. So when the boy was still standing like a red statue in front of the gate, he rolled his window down and said, "Alibaba, why don't you get in so you won't catch a cold?" The poor boy could only nod absentmindedly, and got into the building, still in daze.

Kouen was worried about him, and he had no one to be blamed but himself. With a sigh, he drove back to his home. He was sure that he had a lot of questions to answer once he arrived.

End of chapter 1

—–

Author's note: So what do you think? It will help me a lot if you give me a constructive criticism. As you can guess, Seven Meetings means seven chapters. Pray that I can go until the end. Your review and comments will help me a lot, so please click the cute little button. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A Magi Fanfiction

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine. If Magi were mine, the story would be yaoi and harem, and everyone loves Alibaba and tries to woo him. I thank my friends, Ayase and Izark for being my beta reader for the first chapter. And now I'm searching for another beta.

Warning: This is yaoi. T-rated. Lots, and LOTS of teases. Incompetence in writing as well. So if you don't like it, then don't read.

Notes: I'm very happy with your reviews! For someone who request Kouha x Alibaba chapter, I am truly sorry, but I cannot do that. This story is pure Kouen x Alibaba. But I am planning three other stories, which are (Kouha + Kouen x Alibaba), (Masrur x Alibaba), and (Sinbad x Alibaba). All of them were still on progress, so please be patient~ ^-^ I will post them if I happen to write them down.

Pairing: Kouen x Alibaba.

* * *

Chapter 2: A Dinner and a Touch

The class was as noisy as usual when Alibaba arrived, some of his friends were gossiping about the couple who broke up recently, while the others were copying some math homework. Sometimes he wondered if they ever paid attention to the class. He went to his seat, the one that was right beside the window on the fourth column, greeting some of his friend while going to his destination. Alibaba had just put his bag and barely sat down when Kougyoku came into the class. Knowing Kogyoku would eventually come to his direction, he greeted his red-haired friend cheerfully, "Kougyoku, morning!"

She did not even bother to put her bag on her seat, which was right behind Alibaba's. Instead, she just dropped it on the boy's desk, leaning toward Alibaba with one of her hands on the table while the other is on her hips. "So, Alibaba-chan, what happened?" Kougyoku asked pointedly.

"What do you mean 'what happened', Kougyoku?" Alibaba asked back.

"Yesterday, when you were with Kouennii-san," Kougyoku looked at Alibaba, straight in the eyes, with the interrogation techniques she acquired from some random detective TV series.

"Yesterday…" Alibaba's mind quickly went to the time Kouen kissed him, rather thoroughly. But his mind was interrupted by his friend, who shook his shoulder lightly.

"Alibaba, di- did my brother do something to you on the living room? Did he? He kept silent even though I have threatened him to tell me. What did he do? Did he molest you? Please tell me that I'm wrong!" She rambled, almost crying, but she could not be care less about her mental state as Alibaba's purity and chastity was in question.

_Ah, so it's not about the ride_, Alibaba sighed inwardly in relief, but he failed to hide his blush, which made Kougyoku's even more worried.

"Oh, God, so he did something… Alibaba, what had he done?" She asked hysterically.

"Kougyoku, relax. He did nothing to me… in the living room… well, he just caressed my cheek, that's all," he said sheepishly, scratching his neck.

"Oh… He just… what?!"

"Well, he just caressed my cheek…"

"I heard you, Alibaba-chan, but wha… He caressed you cheek?"

"I thought I just said that…" Deep down, he was glad Kougyoku was distracted enough with the news that she did not notice his weird 'in the living room' addition.

_This is bad_, Kougyoku thought, _Kouennii-san never initiated the acts of affection toward his lovers before. The times he brought them home, it was always those ex-lovers who did it first and he followed what they wanted_. _To think Kouennii-san did such thing first was…unthinkable, unless he was really interested this time, which was impossible, for his brother had never been serious on his love affairs so far. _She took a glance toward the confused and oblivious Alibaba.

Her friend was a good, cute, and polite kid, smart and dependable too. The thing was, he was too naïve, like an innocent baby, which was adorable but also…unsafe. Leave him alone in the dark alley and he would be dragged to human trafficking. Maybe that sounded exaggerated, but it almost happened once. Fortunately, Masrur, the sport teacher, was around and able to help him.

So Alibaba learnt his lesson 'Do Not Talk to Some Strangers' when he was 15, in a hard way. His next lesson, which was 'Do Not Trust a Man so Easily', was coming next; but, how could he learn it when he himself was a boy? Kougyoku felt so frustrated about her friend's condition and started questioning his uncle's ability in taking care of his nephew, as it was clear he had succeeded in raising a pure, innocent, and attackable child. A rare species.

"Kougyoku!" Alibaba shouted right on her left ear, causing it to ring for good five seconds.

"Why do you have to shout, Alibaba-chan?" She pouted slightly. Maybe it was her fault for not listening, but she was not going to admit it.

"As much as I do not want to disturb your activity in your dreamland, the teacher would be happy if you snap out of it and sit on your own seat, you know…" Alibaba said while pointing his hand toward their homeroom teacher, Yamraiha, who was smiling brilliantly at them.

"Thank you for helping me out, Saluja-kun," she said, smiling at the boy. "Now, Ren-san, sit down on your seat so we can start our lesson!"

"Yes, ma'am," Kougyoku said while going to her own seat, dragging her bag with her. She did not manage to ask about the ride, but she always could do it later.

The class went smoothly, at least for Kougyoku who did not even bother to pretend as if she was giving attention to whatever the teacher said. She had been thinking about Kouen's state after he took Alibaba's home last night. Her brother was…weird by the time he got back. He skipped his meal and went to his bedroom directly without sparing the siblings a glance. That was the first time she ever saw him acting like that, and she knew the person who was in her brother's mind last night all too well.

It was bad, no, the worst thing she could possibly imagine. Kouen had many lovers before, but none of them last for a month. What if he lost his interest in Alibaba and dumped him after he was bored, just like what he had done to his past lovers? It would make her relationship with Alibaba become very awkward, wouldn't it?

She turned to look at Alibaba, who kept his eyes on the blackboard that was filled with scribbles of alchemist's formula to create the Philosopher stone, or maybe just a basic chemistry formula of magnesium and reagent, she could not tell the differences. The blonde was the first friend she made in high school. She could not bear the thought of losing him; he was the only one aside from her family who could make her feel safe, like he was a part of her family. She gripped her palm in determination. She did not care if she had to go against her guardian's wishes, who had worked so hard for the sake of the family, she would protect him from the clutch of the sex fiend.

Just because she admires her brother did not mean she was blind of his flaws. Her brother was a terrible lover. Even when her brother seemed to be more interested in Alibaba more than his past lovers, there was no guarantee the relationship would last longer than his previous romances. She would not let Kouen takes Alibaba then throws the boy away like a piece of trash when his feeling fade away. No, the only one who could steal Alibaba from her was someone who really, really loved the boy, someone who adored the boy like he was the most beautiful and precious thing in the world, treated him with love and care, touched him like he was as fragile as crystal and as soft as rose petals. And from the past experiences and a lot of observation, she knew her brother could not do that. She had seen enough of her brother's acts toward his previous lovers to know someone like Alibaba did not deserve the like of him. Not until he could proof his worth.

Then there was Hakuryuu, her twin brother. It did not take long for the girl to notice the longing look in her brother's eyes. She thought maybe it could work, after all, she wanted her friend and brother to be happy. But one day of observation, and she could say that Alibaba and her younger sibling would not be happy together. Well, maybe they would, but it would come to an end one day anyway. Hakuryuu's feeling was a mere shallow crush, she could see how his eyes wondering on the boy's body rather than his eyes when they were talking together. That, and the fact Hakuryuu is too afraid to take his chance. He had his chance for a year and yet he did nothing. With a glance she could see the depth of his feeling for Alibaba, which was rather pathetic, really. She loved her twin, but if they did not belong together then she would not give her help. And if her silly brother still had the nerve to ask why, she would break his soul by putting an idea called common sense into that idiot's brain through his thick skull.

The other boy, Aladin, did not even count on the table, as he saw Alibaba as a big brother. The boy was very protective toward Alibaba, and everybody mistook it as a crush, including her silly brother. Everyone, but not Kougyoku. And secretly, they vowed to protect their golden boy from the persistent bugs. And according to the situation, they would need bug repellent. A lot.

~ Kouen x Alibaba ~

When she saw a familiar tall figure, leaning on the school's gate with a black Toyota Carola like he belonged to be there, one thing that crossed her mind was, 'Why is he here?!'

And when the figure took notice on her presence, he moved slowly toward her.

"Kouennii-san, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be working right now?" She forced a smile on her beloved brother. Really, she loved him. If only he did not targeting her friend, that is.

Her brother merely sighed and said, "Stop yapping. Where's that… brat?"

"That brat, whose name is Alibaba, is doing his club activity right now. So if you are searching for him, you will have to wait for two or three more hours."

"…Then, let's go."

"Huh?"

"Since I have to wait for three hours more, I'd rather do something than nothing."

Kougyoku merely stared at him, did not really understand what he was trying to say.

Kouen sighed at his sister. As much as he loved her, she was slow sometimes. "I'm asking you to go home with me, and have some nice tea on the way."

"And why is that?"

"Can't I spend some family time with my sister?"

"I don't think…"

"They say the new café has the perfect Fruit Parfait and Caramel Crème Brûlée."

Before he knew it, his sister was already in the car, putting her seatbelt on.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?"

The older male merely chuckle while he got into the car and started the engine. "Just so you know that treating me some fancy sweets won't make any difference. I am not helping you." She said it nonchalantly, but she knew her brother got it. She was serious.

"I don't have any intention to ask for your help, dear sister."

She gave an unladylike snort. "Yeah, right."

"Is he that important to you that you won't help your own family?"

Kougyoku paused. She looked at her brother, only to find him staring back at her. Thankfully, it was a red light, or else, she would freak out. "You've talked to him, you answer it."

Kouen looked away, focusing his eyes on the road. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He kept on driving silently that Kougyoku thought the conversation was over. "But I don't think I want to give him up."

"Why?" Kouen did not answer. He kept on driving, turning here and there in silence. Kougyoku knew it was impossible to continue the talk when he was driving. His brother did not like to talk about serious matter when he was behind the wheels, he did not want to risk a careless mistake that will lead to an accident. So, Kougyoku did the right thing, she kept her mouth shut. After all, Fruit Parfait and Caramel Crème Brûlée are waiting for her.

~ Kouen x Alibaba ~

"So, why?"

"Huh?"

"In the car, you said you don't want to give up. Why?"

Here they were, sitting casually at the corner of Noir Café, menu on hands and ready to order something, but his sister chose to ignore the waiter beside them and pursued the ignored question in the car. The intentionally ignored question, to be exact. Why, she asked, but the answer was really simple actually. "I'll have black coffee and chicken sandwich," Kouen said to the long haired waiter, who seemed very thankful that he did not have to hear their private matter.

Kougyoku merely scowled at him, but complied on his unspoken words. "Rainbow Fruit Parfait and Caramel Crème Brûlée for me. And iced lemon tea."

The waiter wrote down their orders and walked away smoothly. His tense shoulders seemed relieved on each step he took. When he was out of sight, Kougyoku stared at his brother, waiting for the answer of the ignored question.

"You are his friend, you know the answer."

"I don't know… I want to know whether you are thinking what I am thinking or just too lazy to think for the answer."

"Right…" He sighed, looking at the street for a while, before looking back at his sister. "The truth is, I don't know." He waited for Kougyoku's response, but when he got none, he continued, "I don't even know him, but I want to keep him beside me."

"That's not a good enough reason."

"I know. But I can't say I love someone when I don't even know him that well." His brother looked at her in the eyes, sincerity filled his crimson eyes. "I can't say I fell in love at the first sight. I'm almost thirty, Kougyoku. I'm too old for some cheesy drama." He took a small breath and released a small tired chuckle. "I don't know what it is… I am captivated…"

After he let it out, his brother seemed tired and a little lost. Kougyoku reached out to take his hand before she could stop herself. This was the first time she saw him like this, and she could bet on her savings that this was also the very first time her brother felt it. She never knew his brother was such a late bloomer.

"Kouennii," she called out. She waited until he looked at her. "You are old enough to realize what it is that you are feeling. But, I'm still not helping you."

"Because I'm a jerk and a sex fiend that broke people's heart all the time?"

"Oh, how do you know?"

"You called me that four years ago." He chuckled at the memory.

Now that he mentioned it, she might have said something like that, or shouted it. "And then you stopped bringing girls at home."

"In fact, dear sister, I stopped dating after that."

"What?! You?! I don't believe you."

"You can believe what you want, Kougyoku."

"And I'm still not helping you."

"And I said, I have no intention to ask for your help."

"Do I have to pay for my sweets now?"

He chuckled softly. "No, I'm still paying."

"Good, 'cause I don't bring more than 2000 yen right now."

"Maybe I should just let you treat me once in awhile…"

"Eh, no way!"

~ Kouen x Alibaba ~

Alibaba was tired. Sharrkan, the club captain was a Spartan kendo demon. His hands were still shaking for taking too much burden on the tanned senior's attack. He could swear that his right shoulder was dislocated. He walked outside and passed the gate slowly, dragging his tired legs on his way, when his shoulder was suddenly grabbed by a big hand.

"Hey, I was calling for you."

He looked up to find Kouen was standing in front of him with his palm on Alibaba's shoulder, and it was hot and tingling. Startled, he slapped the older man's hand and jumped behind.

"What was that for?" Kouen frowned a little.

"Ah, sorry… I had bad experience of being grabbed suddenly." Why he felt uneasy whenever he talked to the red-haired man was so confusing to him. After all, the man was not a bad guy.

"Such as?"

"It was stupid… You'll laugh…"

Kouen merely raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

"I was almost kidnapped when I walked home… I was grabbed at my shoulder, just like that, and they tied my hands. Thankfully, a teacher passed by and saw the whole thing, so I was saved."

Pause. Then a snort.

"I've told you, you'll laugh…" He pouted a little.

"I'm sorry, but you were almost kidnapped when you are in high school…"

"It's still scary, you know." He pouted even more. Kouen chuckled a little bit more.

"Next time you go home late, don't space out. Or rather, don't go home late alone."

"But I'm a boy."

"And you're almost kidnapped."

Alibaba blushed at the comment. "And I thought you were a good guy," he muttered lowly in defeat, pouting all the way.

"I am, so I'm offering you a ride." When he saw Alibaba got tense, he knew what the boy was thinking. The boy was too easy to read. "I'm not going to do anything to you." The blond sighed in relief immediately, muttering how he did not think about such thing, but Kouen was not finished yet. "But I can't promise you anything if you keep pouting you lips like that."

Alibaba immediately blushed and bit his lips in attempt to prevent himself from pouting. But really, it only made him look more irresistible. Yet, if he did something now, he would definitely regret it.

"Come on."

And both got into the car. The ride was as awkward as their first, but Kouen glad he could steal a glance or two at the boy. When he almost arrived to the apartment, he realized the boy was sound asleep. He could wake him up, but the poor boy seemed too tired. So he did what he thought the right thing to do, brought him home. His siblings would be delighted.

End of chapter 2

* * *

Author's note: As you can see, Kouen is gentler than he originally is in the series, and I plan to keep him that way. He has no parents so he has to work hard to support the family, I don't think an arrogant, selfish, knowledge-craving man will be able to do it. And he is a doctor, so he is bound to care of people's well being. Though he is still tough, harsh and manipulating in a way. He cares about his sisters deeply, but Kougyoku is his favorite. She is still naïve and innocent, yet stubborn, so he has soft spot for this little princess.

So what do you think? Not much Kouen x Alibaba interaction, but I think the next chapter will fill the lack of love in this chapter. Oh, by the way, if you haven't notice it already, it takes a long time for me to update. I need the mood and idea to write a not-half-assed work, but that's just an excuse. I am lazy. But hopefully you won't mind and stay tune? I am supposed to do my thesis. But hell, I can't concentrate right now, I need some Alibaba to keep me sane.


End file.
